Using Norton Ghost 9 To Clone My C:\ Drive

[billyo]

Originally Posted by madjim

Hey Billy,
Where did you buy your "box" version?

Jim

i bought mine at compusa, or www.tigerdirect.com since compusa was bought by tiger direct.get the true image 11.0 i think thats the latest one they have and you can just keep updating it.

[bryant]

Originally Posted by madjim

I want to be set up where if my C:\ drive fails at a show I can restart the computer and the second drive will take over. How do I do this with Ghost (or Migrate Easy)?

Jim

I bring two laptops or a laptop and a shuttle.

[Beavis]

raid is the way to go !

[billyo]

Originally Posted by madjim

I installed the Migrate Easy demo. If I use the automatic clone feature it says I will have to remove the old hard drive when the data moving is complete. Does this means everytime I make a copy of my C:\ drive, I have to run off of the second drive and disconect the first drive? Do I have to go back and forth switching drives eveytime I add new songs and want to do a backup?

I was under the impression that if my hard drive failed all I had to do was restart my computer and the second drive would take over. I don't mind disconnecting a drive and leaving it in the computer for backup but this method will require me to open the computer which I though I could avoid.

After running shows with this computer for over four years now I feel it's time to get a tested, working backup system in place since hard drives do not last forever. I would appreciate it if somebody who uses Migrate Easy would explain the process they use.

Thanks

Jim

from what i read if something happens to you pc you can use the cd and boot up from there, jim on acronis true image they have a step by step on how to restore/create a back-up system for your comp, i have never tried it , since all i do was cloned my drive ,but i clicked on a few steps and kinda easy enough to follow..if i can understand it you wont have a problem doing it.. buy the box version and all the things that you wanted to do is in there, you wont regret it, its like having a sec. blanket you dont have to worry about crashing..

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by madjim

I want to be set up where if my C:\ drive fails at a show I can restart the computer and the second drive will take over. How do I do this with Ghost (or Migrate Easy)?

Jim

Hey Billy,
I've come to the conclusion that this can not be done. Since I own a copy of Ghost 9 I'm going to try it ONE MORE TIME.

What I plan on doing is making a clone of Drive #1 (my C:\ drive) to Drive #2 making Drive #2 bootable. This will make Drive #2 my C:\ drive. After the clone, I will make sure that Drive #1 is disconected from the computer. This should make the computer boot off of Drive #2 which is now my C:\ and leave a bootable copy of the drive (Drive #1) in my machine for backup. I will have to open my machine to switch the drives but it will be a solid backup solution.

Does this sound like the thing to do or do you have another suggestion?

Thanks

Jim

[billyo]

Originally Posted by madjim

Hey Billy,
I've come to the conclusion that this can not be done. Since I own a copy of Ghost 9 I'm going to try it ONE MORE TIME.

What I plan on doing is making a clone of Drive #1 (my C:\ drive) to Drive #2 making Drive #2 bootable. This will make Drive #2 my C:\ drive. After the clone, I will make sure that Drive #1 is disconected from the computer. This should make the computer boot off of Drive #2 which is now my C:\ and leave a bootable copy of the drive (Drive #1) in my machine for backup. I will have to open my machine to switch the drives but it will be a solid backup solution.

Does this sound like the thing to do or do you have another suggestion?

Thanks

Jim

i have tried that, you can not have 2 os on a single drive, you have to do a partitioned of your c:drive and use the less space for booting up, you have to disconnect the clonned drive, if its connected, once you start up your comp, you will get an error msg. since the cloned drive will now become a c: drive and your int. drive is also a c: drive, in my opinion it's better to clone your int. drive to a bigger drive and swap it, then you can use your ( old )int. drive as a back-up/boot drive

[Beavis]

i have 2 drives running at the same time (cloned) i just switch the jumpers to set the second (back up) drive to slave. the main drive to master.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by billyo

i have tried that, you can not have 2 os on a single drive,

I'm not doing this Billy.

you have to do a partitioned of your c:drive and use the less space for booting up, you have to disconnect the clonned drive, if its connected,

"I will make sure that Drive #1 is disconected from the computer." That's what I ment by this statement.

once you start up your comp, you will get an error msg. since the cloned drive will now become a c: drive and your int. drive is also a c: drive, in my opinion it's better to clone your int. drive to a bigger drive and swap it, then you can use your ( old )int. drive as a back-up/boot drive

That is basically what I was describing.

My explaination may not have been the best, thanks for your input.

Jim

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by Beavis

i have 2 drives running at the same time (cloned) i just switch the jumpers to set the second (back up) drive to slave. the main drive to master.

After you cloned one of your drives, did you disconnect the drive you cloned from your machine before you rebooted?

Did you then shut down your machine and put the original drive in as the slave?

If the drive the computer is ruuning off of fails will the second drive (slave) boot up the computer?

Jim

[Beavis]

i did this on my POS for my restaurant. i added a drive to the computer, cloned it, had it set up all the time to be a slave drive (jumper settings on the hard drive) and left it in the machine.

i use a program called second copy to update the second drive. it will put all the new info from my business on the second drive. if the first drive fails, i just change the jumper settings and away i go.


you should be able to copy your c: drive to another drive and just replacve your c: drive with the copied drive and have everything just as it was!


make sure when you replace the original drive with the copied drive you set up the jumpers to be the master drive.

was this clear jim??

i think a raid card would be what you really want, it puts all the info all the time on 2 or more drives if you want and if one fails, just unplug it and restart.

[madjim- with the Lord]

The fog is starting to lift, thanks Beav.

I have heard of raid but never used it. Sounds like it would do what I'm wanting to do but is there a draw back to using it?

Jim

[Beavis]

i will send you a raid card for free if you want.

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by Beavis

i will send you a raid card for free if you want.

I may take you up on that offer. Do you use a raid card on your karaoke system?

Jim

[Beavis]

nope. i just have a cloned drive that i update every now and then.

i dont have a back up for on the spot

i do take my machine out every now & then and blow it out with my compressor to get rid of all the dust mites !! this way it always runs cool !!


thats what kills alot of computers HEAT !!!

[madjim- with the Lord]

Thanks Beav,
Is anybody using a raid card on their main show machine?

Jim

[Beavis]

all it is, is a slot card that your ribbon cable plugs into rather than going through the motherboard.


how old is your computer, it may have raid capabilities ??


am i talking chineese jim ?? or do you understand ??

[billyo]

Originally Posted by Beavis

i have 2 drives running at the same time (cloned) i just switch the jumpers to set the second (back up) drive to slave. the main drive to master.

i am trying to understand what youre saying, both of these drives has the same os? caused when you boot up your pc it will be talking to both of the drives, unless you went in the bios and changed how you boot up your system like you have your cloned drive to boot up first and second drive next?..but anyway if it works for you ..who am i to say it can't

[madjim- with the Lord]

Originally Posted by Beavis

all it is, is a slot card that your ribbon cable plugs into rather than going through the motherboard.


how old is your computer, it may have raid capabilities ??


am i talking chineese jim ?? or do you understand ??

My show computer is about four years old, bought it from MTU. How would I know if it had raid capabilities?

Your not shooting over my head bro, I appreciate you taking the time to help and may PM you my address after a little research on raid. It's sounding good to me!

Jim

[Beavis]

when you change the jumper settings on the hard drive itself, it doesnt look for the slave drive to boot to.



hey jim i just wanted to make sure we are on the same page, no disrespect from me, and none taken

[ddouglass]

Jim if you are using SATA drives (small cable instead of wide ribbon cable), then you have Raid capability already. You would need two drives identical in size to do this. What happens is when anything changes on one disk the other is automatically updated. This is called mirroring (I forget what raid level it is but can find out if you want to try it). If drive 0 fails drive 1 takes over and automatically becomes the working drive. You get a warning message that the drive has failed, but the computer keeps on working.